Knife



April 26, 1938. M J I ME 2,115,686

KNIFE Filed Jan. 13, 1937 Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Application January 13, 1937, Serial No. 120,384

6 Claims.

This invention relates to knives of that type provided with a fingerrest operating over the unsharpened edge of the knife blade adjoiningthe inner end of the handle and has for its object the provision of afinger rest construction and mounting. therefor, that will firmly andsecurely anchor the finger rest in position and so hold it there thatitwill have no tendency to become loose or be capable of any appreciablemovement relatively either to the blade or to the handle of the knife.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be apparent, thisinvention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement ofparts all as hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustratedin the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a knife constructed in accordance with thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the knife as viewed from the point of theblade thereof; and

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the end face of the ferrule mounted on theinner end of the handle of the knife, showing the construction by whichit cooperates with both the finger rest and the shank of the knifeblade.

Heretofore in the construction of knives embodying finger rests, it hasgenerally been customary to either form the finger rest integrally withthe unsharpened edge of the blade adjoining the inner end of the handle;or to provide a laterally disposed extension at the inner extremity ofthe finger rest, having an opening thereinfor the passage of the bladeshank whereby the extension is clamped between the inner end of thehandle and the inner extremity of the blade; or to provide a tongue ortongues at the inner end of the finger rest which are driven into thehandle upon each side of and usually flush against the shank of theblade. These prior constructions are open to certain objections,principally because of the finger rest frequently becoming loosened andhaving some appreciable movement relatively to the blade and handle.

The present invention contemplates a finger rest that will be securelyand firmly held in its position with reference to the unsharpened edgeof the blade adjoining the inner end thereof and which will besubstantially incapable of becoming loosened or having movementrelatively to either the blade or the handle, thereby overcoming theprincipal objections to most forms of finger rests which have gonebefore.

Reference being had more particularly to the drawing, II] designates thehandle of a paring knife having any suitable shape and size and beingformed from any adaptable material, preferably and usually of wood. Aknife blade II, provided with a shank I2, is attached to the handle I byhaving the shank I2 embedded in the handle II]. This shank I2 may beheld in its position within the handle I0 by friction but if so desired,a headed pin or brad I3 may be driven into one side of the handle I0 toengage said shank I2 thereby firmly holding the shank in the handle ID.

The inner end 'of the handle I0 is shouldered, as at I4, and has aferrule I5 mounted thereon. The outer extremity I6 of the ferrule I5 isclosed by a face which covers the end or inner end of the handle I0 andthrough which the shank I2 must pass to become embedded in said handle.To that end a vertical slot I1 is provided in the face lfi of theferrule and is crossed and intercepted by a horizontal slot I8 likewiseformed in the face. I6. These slots I! and I8 are positioned centrallywith respect to the diameter of the ferrule I5 and cross or intercepteach other at the approximate center of the face I6 of the ferrule. Theshank I2 of the blade I I passes through the vertical slot I I in theface I6 of the ferrule I5 and rather snugly occupies the entire slot.Thus when the shank I2 of the blade II is in its operative position, theferrule I5 is fixed on the reduced or shouldered extremity I4 of thehandle I0 and any tendency for movement thereof with reference to eitherthe handle ID or the blade I I is largely overcome.

A finger rest I9 of any suitable shape and construction bears over theinner end portion of the unsharpened edgeof the blade I I and providesor creates a relatively wide rest for the index finger of the user ofthe knife. The inner extremity 28 of the finger rest I9 is bentdownwardly at substantially right angles to the body of the finger restto occupy a position fiush against the face I6 of the ferrule I5. Thisright angularly disposed extension of the finger rest I9 terminates insubstantial alignment with the horizontal slot I8 in the face I6 of theferrule I5.

At its extremity this right angularly disposed extension 20 of thefinger rest I 9 is provided with two tongues 2| spaced one from theother laterally of the extension and extending rearwardly therefrom uponeach side of the shank I2 of the blade II. One of these tongues passesthrough each portion of the slot I8 in the face I6 of the ferrule uponopposed sides of the vertical slot I1 and therefore may be and areembedded horizontally in the inner end portion of the handle I0 flankingand adjoining the shank [2 of the blade I I which rests verticallywithin the handle.

Movement of the finger rest I9 laterally with reference to the plane ofthe blade II, or to the handle I0, is effectively prevented by theengagement of the tongues 2I with the limits of the slot I8 in the faceI6 of the ferrule I5 and any movement of the finger rest I9longitudinally of the blade II and away from the handle I0 is preventedby the partial engagement of the extension 20 of the finger rest I9between the inner extremity of the knife blade II and the face I6 of theferrule I5.

This construction provides additional security over and above the normalfrictional engagement of the tongues 2| with the handle I0 for holdingthe finger rest I9 firmly and securely in position.

From the foregoing it is manifest that the present invention provides amounting for a finger rest cooperating with the unsharpened edge of aknife blade that will prevent the finger rest from becoming loosened orhaving any substantial or noticeable movement relatively to the knifeblade or to the handle of the knife. In other words, any turning actionof the blade II, ferrule I5, or finger rest I9 with respect to thehandle I0, is effectively overcome by the coaction of the shank I2 andthe tongues 2I with the slots I1 and I8 of the ferrule and with the bodyof the handle I0.

What is claimed is:

1. In a knife, the combination with a blade having a handle shank at oneextremity thereof, of a handle adapted to receive and engage said shank,a finger rest coacting with the inner end portion of the unsharpenededge of the blade, a ferrule mounted on the inner end of said handlehaving a closed outer end and a vertical slot therein for the passage ofthe handle shank and a horizontal slot crossing said vertical slot, andmeans on said finger rest to' be engaged in said horizontal slot tomount and hold said finger rest against movement.

2. In a knife, the combination with a blade having a handle shank at oneextremity thereof, of a handle adapted to receive and engage said shank,a finger rest coacting with the inner end portion of the unsharpenededge of the blade, a ferrule mounted on the inner end of said handlehaving a closed end and vertical slot therein for the passage of thehandle shank and a horizontal slot crossing said vertical slot, and arearwardly extending tongue on said finger rest adapted to pass throughsaid horizontal slot to rest within the handle aforesaid.

3. In a knife, the combination with a blade having a handle shank at oneextremity thereof, of a handle adapted to receive and engage said shank,a finger rest coacting with the inner end portion of the unsharpenededge of the blade, a ferrule mounted on the inner end of said handlehaving a vertical slot therein for the passage of the handle shank and ahorizontal slot crossing said vertical slot, and rearwardly extendingtongues carried by said finger rest adapted to pass through saidhorizontal slot and be embedded in said handle upon each side of thehandle shank aforesaid.

4. In a knife, the combination with a blade having a handle shank at oneextremity thereof, of a handle adapted to receive and engage said shank,a finger rest coacting with the inner end portion of the unsharpenededge of the blade, a ferrule mounted on the inner end of said handlehaving a closed outer end and a vertical slot therein for the passage ofthe handle shank and a horizontal slot intercepting said vertical slot,a right angularly disposed extension on said finger rest, and rearwardlyextending tongues on said extension adapted to pass through thehorizontal slot aforesaid and be received or embedded within the handleupon each side of said handle shank.

5. In a knife, the combination with a blade having a handle shank at oneextremity thereof, of a handle adapted toreceive and engage said shank,a finger rest coacting with the inner end portion of the unsharpenededge of the blade, a ferrule mounted on the inner end of said handlehaving a. closed outer end and a vertical slot therein for the passageof the handle shank and a horizontal slot intercepting said verticalslot, a right angularly disposed extension at the inner end ofsaid'finger rest positioned between the inner endof the handle and theinner extremity of the blade, and rearwardly extending tongues on saidextension and spaced laterally'one from the other to pass through saidhorizontal slot upon each side of the handle shank and be embedded insaid'handle.

6. In a knife, the combination with a blade having a shank at oneextremity thereof, of a handle adapted to receive and house said shank,a finger rest'coacting with the unsharpened edge of the blade, meansfor'engaging said finger rest in position to be held againstlongitudinal movement with reference to the knife blade including aferrule mounted on the inner end of said handle, and a tongue and slotconnection between said ferrule and said finger rest for holding thelatter against lateral movement with reference to the knife blade.

' MYRON J. ZIMMl-lR.

